Primaries, Midterms, and Voting

Here in the United States, we’re gearing up for our Midterm Elections. In November, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 out of 100 seats in the Senate, and 39 governorships are up for grabs. Each state will have other referendums and positions that citizens will be able to vote for, same usual. The thing about the 2018 Midterms is that this election is seen as a possible way to check the rampant corruption currently engulfing our government (which is a controversial statement to many).

Looking at the national level (the House and Senate seats), there is quite the clash coming up between the two major parties in the country. Many, including myself, see the need for Democrats to win at least one of the chambers. There needs to be a check on power that is absent at the moment while the Republicans hold all three branches of government. When you have members of Congress saying that they need to stay in power in order to protect the President, the importance of everyone voting this November is further highlighted.

Now, I could go deeper into discussing why I don’t think that the Republican party is good at governing. Instead, I want to try to highlight the importance of voting in the upcoming elections.

In the weeks leading up to the November Midterm Election, the states have their primaries. Here in Connecticut, our primary is today. We have closed primaries which means that only registered Democrats and Republicans get to vote today in their party’s primaries. We’re picking who will be on the November ballot for the Governor, some state senate or representative seats, and a few other positions. Primaries usually have some of the lowest turn out of voters coming out of all of our elections. Despite that, here is the first time I’ll remind people: Show up and vote. You don’t get to complain about the choices on the ballot if you didn’t show up at the primary. The only excuse for not voting today (if you’re in Connecticut or if you state also does closed primaries) is that you are an independent and can’t vote in this election.

Lets talk Midterms now. These are a big deal this year. There have already been reports that our elections, again, may not be secure. That they are under attack again. Aside from that, this is our time as voters to tell our politicians what we need them to do. They have their jobs because of us. They have any power because the people bestow it on them through free and fair elections. So, again, SHOW UP AND VOTE!

It is so incredibly important to show up and vote this November. No matter how you feel about the direction of the United States right now, which seems to be heading into a crash course with the end at times, you need to vote. We all need to vote. There is so much on the line.

Make sure you register to vote, know where your polling place is, and know who you are supporting and what their positions are.